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1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees (representing the American League) and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers (representing the National League) during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series. It was the last all-New York Series until 2000, due to the Dodgers and Giants relocating after the 1957 season. The Yankees won the Series in seven games, 4–3, capturing their seventeenth championship. Brooklyn won Games 1 and 2, but New York pitchers threw five consecutive complete games (Games 3–7) to cap off the comeback. The highlight was Don Larsen's perfect game in Game 5, the only no-hitter in the history of major league post-season play. Larsen was named the Series MVP for his achievement. This was the last World Series to date not to have scheduled off days (although Game 2 was postponed a day due to rain). Summary AL New York Yankees (4) vs. NL Brooklyn Dodgers (3) Matchups Game 1 Wednesday, October 3, 1956 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York Game 2 Friday, October 5, 1956 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York Game 3 Saturday, October 6, 1956 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York Game 4 Sunday, October 7, 1956 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York Game 5 Monday, October 8, 1956 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New York Larsen, working in an unusual "no-windup" style, pitched the only post-season perfect game (also the only post-season no-hitter) in Game 5. Of several close moments, the best remembered is Gil Hodges' fifth-inning line drive toward Yankee Stadium's famed "Death Valley" in left-center, snared by center fielder Mickey Mantle with a spectacular running catch. A reporter asked Yankees manager Casey Stengel if this was the best game Larsen had ever pitched. Stengel diplomatically answered, "So far!" For Larsen, this was an especially satisfying performance, as he had acquired perhaps a better reputation as a night owl than as a pitcher. Stengel once said of Larsen, "The only thing he fears is sleep!" Incredibly, Stengel is reported to have stated after the Series that Larsen's historic gem was not the best pitched game of the '56 classic; in his opinion, Bob Turley's losing effort in Game 6, in which he struck out eleven batters and lost a shutout in the tenth inning on a fielding mistake, was actually a better pitched game. Sports cartoonist Willard Mullin drew an illustration of a happy Larsen painting a canvas titled The Perfect Game, observed by Mullin's classic "Brooklyn Bum." Referencing the old saw "I don't know much about art but I know what I like," the disgusted-looking Bum came up with a variation: "I don't care if it is art—''I don't like it!" The perfect game set the record for most consecutive hitless innings in a World Series; the Brooklyn Dodgers failed to record a hit in eleven consecutive innings. Game 6 Tuesday, October 9, 1956 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York Game 7 Wednesday, October 10, 1956 at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York Composite box 1956 World Series '(4–3): New York Yankees (A.L.)' over Brooklyn Dodgers (N.L.) |}} Broadcasting NBC televised the Series, with announcers Mel Allen (for the Yankees) and Vin Scully (for the Dodgers). In 2006 it was announced that a nearly-complete kinescope recording of the Game 5 telecast (featuring Larsen's perfect game) had been preserved and discovered by a collector. The Mutual network aired the Series on radio, with Bob Wolff and Bob Neal announcing. This was the final World Series broadcast for Mutual, which had covered the event since 1935; NBC's radio network would gain exclusive national rights to baseball the following season. Series quotes Notes References *Neft, David S., and Richard M. Cohen. The World Series. 1st ed. New York: St Martins, 1990. (Neft and Cohen 259–264) *Reichler, Joseph, ed. (1982). The Baseball Encyclopedia (5th ed.), p. 2164. MacMillian Publishing. ISBN 0-02-579010-2. * External links * 1956 World Series at Baseball-Reference.com * [http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1956 1956 World Series at WorldSeries.com (MLB.com)] * 1956 World Series at Baseball-Almanac.com * Kodak Presents - Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Don Larson's Perfect Game * The Deadball Era Audio - Jackie Robinson drives in the winning run in Game 6 * The Deadball Era Audio - Final Out of Don Larson's Perfect Game * USAToday.com - Video of a Duke Snider at-bat in Game 5 Category:World Series World Series Category:New York Yankees Category:Brooklyn Dodgers